Coronavirus

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said today that all students, staff and visitors in K-12 schools will have to wear face masks indoors when classes start this fall. Read more

The surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the more contagious delta variant has spread to Baker County, which reported 19 new cases on Tuesday, July 27, the second-highest one-day total during the pandemic. Read more

Health Department Director Nancy Staten is sounding the alarm. “We’re seeing an increase in cases, and we need to get a handle on it or we’re going to be in bad shape as a county. We know that when cases spike, many people are exposed to people who are contagious, and it takes a long time fo… Read more

State restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have ended, and Baker County’s rate of new cases has remained well below a spring peak during April, but Nancy Staten is concerned that the county’s relatively low vaccination rate makes the county vulnerable to future outbreaks. Read more

Baker County is in the midst of its biggest surge in COVID-19 cases in two months, and most of the recent infections are in residents 40 or older. Read more

Baker County’s rate of new COVID-19 cases has risen during the first two weeks of June, but infections remain well below the average for the previous six months. Read more

Jason Yencopal concedes that it seems a bit unusual for Baker County officials to urge residents who feel fine to be tested for COVID-19. Read more

Shane Cunningham pondered the COVID-19 vaccines long before he was eligible to get one. Read more

With its COVID-19 case rate dropping by more than half during May, Baker County returned to the lowest of the state’s risk levels today, May 27. Read more

With its COVID-19 case rate dropping to the lowest level in more than six months, Baker County appears to be on pace to return to the state’s lowest risk level, which would double indoor dining capacity at restaurants at the start of Memorial Day weekend. Read more

Baker County’s rate of COVID-19 cases has dropped by more than half during May compared with April. Read more

Sarah Plummer, a 17-year-old junior at Baker High School, had no qualms about getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Read more

Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday, May 11 that counties can qualify to ease COVID-19 restrictions on businesses starting next week if they vaccinate enough residents, but Baker County is far short of the threshold. Read more

Gov Kate Brown laid out some basic math on Tuesday for Oregon residents hoping for as near a “normal” as possible. Vaccination = vacation. Read more

Restaurants and bars in Baker County can resume limited indoor dining on Friday, May 7, as the county drops from extreme to high risk level. Read more

A large majority of COVID-19 cases in Baker County over the past two weeks or so were people younger than 40, a significant increase from the rate of cases in that age range earlier this spring.

For the period April 15-30, almost 71% of the county’s 78 new cases were people 39 or younger, according to the Baker County Health Department.

For the period March 23 through April 2, that age group accounted for just 28% of the county’s cases.

Starting in early April the number of cases in county residents younger than 40 began to rise.

From April 3-21, that group had 55% of the new cases.

Meanwhile the number of cases among people 70 and older — the group most likely to become severely ill or to die — has plummeted.

Of Oregon’s 2,508 deaths attributed to COVID-19 during the pandemic, almost 76% were 70 or older. In Baker County, 13 of the 14 people who died after testing positive for the virus were 70 or older (the one exception is a 59-year-old man who died on Feb. 2).

The 70-and-older age group accounted for 17.5% of Baker County’s new cases from March 23 to April 2. The group’s share dropped to 9.9% from April 3-21, and to just under 2% from April 15-30.

During the latter period there were no cases in the county among residents 80 and older, said Holly Kerns, a public information officer for the county.

Total cases includes people who tested positive for COVID-19 as well as presumptive cases — people who had symptoms consistent with the virus and were in close contact with someone who tested positive but haven’t tested positive themselves. The county does not list positive tests and presumptive cases separately.

The 70-plus age group also has the highest vaccination rate in Baker County, with about 65% of county residents in that group fully or partially vaccinated, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

Although vaccination rates for county residents younger than 40 aren’t available, the total number of residents in that age group who are partially or fully vaccinated is 777. That’s 13.7% of the total people vaccinated in the county.

Younger residents, with the exception of health care workers, first responders, teachers and other school employees and some other groups, weren’t eligible to be vaccinated for most of the winter.

Everyone 16 and older is now eligible.

The largest increase in new cases in Baker County since April 15 was among people in their 20s. That group, which accounted for 4.4% of cases from April 3-21, jumped to 21.6% from April 15-30.

That was the second-highest percentage of any group during the period, behind only people in their 30s, who totaled 25.5% of the county’s cases. Read more

With Baker County’s weekly total of COVID-19 cases dropping to its lowest level in more than a month, County Commissioner Mark Bennett said he hopes the county will drop from extreme risk level starting this Friday, May 7. Read more

The Baker County Health Department has hundreds more doses of COVID-19 vaccine than it has residents interested in being inoculated. Read more

Baker County Commissioner Mark Bennett and the county’s two state legislators have signed separate letters criticizing Gov. Kate Brown’s decision to ban indoor dining in Baker County and 14 other counties starting Friday, April 30 due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Read more

Baker County will move to the extreme risk level under state COVID-19 guidelines on Friday, April 30, and stay there for at least one week. Read more

Baker County has a “slim” chance to avoid moving into the extreme risk level this Friday, April 30, but County Commissioner Mark Bennett doesn’t yet know how small that opportunity will be. Read more

A group of Baker County employees and volunteers were prepared to help more than 1,100 people get their first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Saturday, April 24 at the Fairgrounds. Read more

A sharp increase in COVID-19 cases could push at least 12 Oregon counties, including Baker, into the extreme risk level April 30, requiring the most severe restrictions the state can impose on businesses and activities, Gov. Kate Brown said Friday, April 23. Read more

Almost half of Baker County’s COVID-19 cases during the past month, when the case rate more than tripled, are people younger than 50, the age range with much lower vaccination rates compared with older residents. Read more

After a two-week reprieve, Baker County’s recent increase in COVID-19 cases will result in more severe restrictions on some businesses and events starting Friday, April 23. Read more

A 71-year-old Baker County woman who died on Wednesday, April 14 at a Boise hospital is the 14th county resident to die after testing positive for COVID-19, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported. Read more

Baker County’s COVID-19 surge continued on Tuesday, April 13 with 14 new cases, the highest one-day total since late December, and the third-most in any day during the pandemic. Read more

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has fixed an error in its system for reporting county-level COVID-19 vaccination numbers, and the correction had a big effect on Baker County, whose inflated numbers prompted the agency to look at the situation in late March. Read more

A 75-year-old Baker City man who died on April 3 is the 13th county resident to die after testing positive for COVID-19, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported Friday, April 9.The man, who had underlying medical conditions, tested positive on March 24. He died at his home, according to the OHA. Read more

A recent change to Oregon’s COVID-19 risk level system should allow Baker County to remain at the lowest level, with the least severe restrictions, through most of April even though the county’s case rate has nearly tripled in the past two weeks. Read more

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) estimates that its website had recently exaggerated by about 50% the number of Baker County residents who have been partially or fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Read more

Chelsea Hurliman is eager for Baker High School students to return to a four-day week and remain in their classrooms all day except when they are called away for extracurricular activities. Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has hampered all sorts of events, but American Red Cross blood drives in Baker City aren’t among them. Read more

About 450 Baker County residents had their second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Friday during the Baker County Health Department’s third major clinic at Baker High School. Read more

Baker County’s rate of new COVID-19 cases has risen over the past week or so to the highest level in more than two months. Read more

The air inside the Baker County Library District’s main branch in Baker City has never been cleaner, Ed Adamson says, his pride palpable even though most of the particles that are no longer wafting about were never visible to the naked eye. Read more

Baker County is doing well, compared with Oregon’s 35 other counties, in vaccinating its residents against COVID-19. Read more

Baker School District students in Grades 7-12 will be returning to classes four days a week beginning April 12 if all goes as planned in the next few weeks. Read more

The Baker City Council on Tuesday evening, March 23 will consider approving a resolution declaring an “economic, mental health and criminal activity crisis” resulting from Oregon COVID-19 mandates that the resolution deems “arbitrary, ineffective, and draconian.” Read more

Baker County will receive $3.13 million, and Baker City $2 million, from the federal COVID-19 aid bill that President Joe Biden signed last week. Read more

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported today that an 81-year-old man in Baker County died on March 11, three days after testing positive for COVID-19. Read more

Baker County had the biggest day of its COVID-19 vaccination effort on Friday, March 12. Read more

Nick Cripe found himself with some extra time between jobs as a firefighter and paramedic. Read more

Another Baker County residents has died after testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the county's death toll during the pandemic to 11. Read more

Baker County’s COVID-19 risk level rises by one, from lowest to moderate, on Friday, March 12, but the effects on restaurants and bars, and other businesses and activities, are relatively minor. Read more

Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, Baker County will move from the lowest of Oregon's four risk levels to the second-lowest starting Friday, March 12. Read more

Kathy Taylor is supposed to be exhausted right now. Read more

Fifteen cases of COVID-19 have been reported at Settler’s Park memory care community in Baker City. Read more

Becky and Bruce Litke were excited at the prospect that a brief pinprick will lead to them seeing their grandchildren and great-grandchildren again. Read more

The Baker High School volleyball team has a lot to get used to during a season first postponed, and now shortened, by the pandemic. Read more

Terry McQuisten will welcome moviegoers back to the Eltrym Theater on March 5 — the 13th anniversary of when she and her husband, Dan, purchased the business. Read more

Under the glow of the stadium lights, the Baker Bulldog football players are doing something they haven’t done in well over a year. Read more

After a five-week decline in COVID-19 cases that dropped Baker County into the state’s lowest risk level starting Feb. 12, the case rate is rising again. Read more

Baker County should stay in the lowest risk category under the state’s COVID-19 guidelines through at least the second week of March, County Commissioner Mark Bennett said on Saturday, Feb. 20. Read more

A modest rise in Baker County’s rate of COVID-19 cases this week has pushed the county close to moving up one level on the state’s risk level starting Feb. 26. Read more

Baker County is on pace to remain in the lowest risk category for COVID-19 spread, with the least-stringent restrictions on businesses and activities, into the second week of March. Read more

Lori Brock figures she’s given about 125 COVID-19 vaccinations, but the arm she’s preparing to pierce is like no other. Read more

Despite snow showers and temperatures hovering around 20 degrees, 300 Baker County residents, most of them age 80 or older, received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine Friday morning, Feb. 12 at Baker High School. Read more

Liz White’s restaurant was better positioned than some to endure COVID-19 restrictions, but she’s still excited that those limits will ease in Baker County starting on Friday, Feb. 12. Read more

The COVID-19 outbreak at Powder River Correctional Facility in Baker City has slowed considerably over the past two weeks, and an official at the minimum-security prison said she’s pleased with the trend. Read more

Theresa Ball hated to type the words announcing that her Baker City business, Chill’z frozen yogurt, would no longer be serving sweet treats. Read more

Two Baker Middle School students and one teacher have been quarantined this week after one of the students tested positive for COVID-19. Read more

Baker County dropped from the extreme-risk level under the state’s COVID-19 guidelines to high risk on Friday, Feb. 5, Baker County Commissioner Mark Bennett said. Read more